Detachable hinge



July 7, 1953 R. E. MOCLELLAN fDE-'rAcHABLE HINGE Filed Sept. 4, 1951 Patented July 7, 1953 nErAcnAeLs HINGE Ralph E. McClellan,

Meilink Steel Safe Company,

' corporation of Ohio Toledo, Ohio, assignor to Toledo, Ohio, a

Application September 4, 1951, Serial No. 244,980

This invention relates to a detachable hinge. More particularly, it relates to a two piece detachable hinge adapted for a drop leaf of a table in which the leaf may be removed from the table, suspended on the table or rigidly held in alignment as an extension for the top of the table.

It is an object of this invention to produce a simple, eiiicient, effective and economic detachable hinge in which its two pieces may be detached, hooked together, or locked in a rigid position with respect to each other.

Generally speaking,'the detachable hinge of this invention comprises two leaves, one of which is provided with a first flat portion and the other of which is provided with two oifset parallel second and third flat portions. The former leaf and its first flat portion is provided along one edge thereof with a pair of inclines projecting therefrom and terminating in pin retaining eyes with a pintle or pivot pin fastened in said eyes bridging the space or notch formed between said inclines. The other leaf portion comprising the second and third iiat portions, has said portions joined together through an inclined offsetting section, and the third of said flat portions terminates remotely from said offset section in an open reversely bent hook for hooking onto the pintle bridging the notch between the eyes on the first flat portion.

For locking the two faces of the rst and third fiat portions may be provided with cooperating locking means, such as a lug and a port, so that a shelf and table top to which the leaves may be attached-may be held .rigidly in alignment so that one surface is an extension of the other. f

The above mentioned and other features and objects of this invention and the manner of attaining them are given more specific disclosure in the following description of an embodiment of this invention taken in conjunction with the accompaying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a fragment of a typewriter table provided with a drop-leaf shelf extension suspended from an edge of the table top by a pair of the hinges according to the present invention;

' Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the two leaves of the hinge of this invention in their co-planar locked position;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the leaves shown in Fig. 2 with a portion in section along` line III-III of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an end elevation similar to Fig. 3, parleaves together, contacting I tially in section, with the two leaves of the hinge pulled apart into their unlocked position prepara tory for the suspended position shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 5 is an end view of a pair of leaves of the hinge of Fig. 4 as they may be hooked together for a drop-leaf of a table in the position shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary showing similar to Fig. 5 of howvthe leaves of the hinge may be disconnected from each other.

Referring to Fig. 1 the horizontal top I of the stand or table may be provided with an extension or drop-leaf portion 2, which are connected together by means of a pair of cooperating leaves. One of these leaves may be attached by means of screws 3 (Fig. 2) to the under side of a table top I through apertures or holes'fl in a first flat portion 5. Extending from one of the sides of the first flat portion 5 spaced by a notch 5 is a pair of inclines 1, which inclines 1 terminate in pintle retaining eyes or closed loop portions 8. Axially fastened in the eyes 8 and bridging the space il Vbetween the inclined projections l may be fastened a pintle pin I6.

The other leaf of the hinge assembly comprises a second flat lportion II provided withy apertures or holes l2 for screws I3 for fastening this other leaf to the shelf 2. Along one side of the second flat .portion II is an inclined offsetting section Ill connecting an adjacent edge of a third flat portion I5 parallel to said second fia-t portion II. The third flat portion l5 may terminate remote from the offsetting portion I4 in an open reversely bent hook I8 having a radius adapted to fit over the pintle sponding to the width of third flat portion will t between the extending from the first dat portion 5.

The leaves of both of the hinge portions are the notch 6, so that the inclines l anchored to thetable top I and shelf 2,respec-` tively, so that the offset and inclines extend beyond the edges of the table top l and shelf 2 as shown in Fig. 5, whereby the third dat portion of the hinge assembly may easily be hooked over the pin IE in the manner shown in Fig. 6.

Now if it is desired to raise the shelf 2 in a plane with the table top I, the shelf is first raised so that the hinge leaves take the position as shown in Fig. 4 and then when the rst and second flat portions 5 and I I, respectively, are in substantially the same plane, the shelf 2 is slid toward the table top so that the underside of the third dat portion slides along the top of the pin I5 into the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

In order to lock the two leaves of the hinge or zpin I6, and having a width corre in the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3, cooperating means between the under surface of the first fiat portion 5 and the upper surface of the third fiat portion I5 may be provided, such as partially punching through the first flat portion 5 to form a recess 9 in one side thereof and a lug or projection I on the other, which projection Il) :its into a correspondingly sized hole or port I7 punched into the upper surface of the third fiat portion I5. This lug and port means are so positioned as to be in alignment when the edges of the table top I and shelf 2 abut each other as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3.

Thus, in order to engage or release the lug and port means It and I 1, the shelf of the table must be lifted slightly so that the edge of the port I I will cam around the projection IU, which lifting pinches the edges I and 2 of the table and shelf slightly.

In the event the shelf and table each have the same thickness and the two leaves of the hinge are made of the same thickness of pack-hardened sheet steel, say 1/8 of an inch, the offset distance between the second and third fiat portions I! and i5 should be only` equal to the thickness of the first fiat portion 5. For an average typewriter table of l thick boards, diameter and 7/8 long Wood screws 3 and i3 would be suiiicient to attach a l/ thick steel hinge of ther type described, for a drop-leaf shelf to support the weight ofV a typewriter or an adding machine. The strength of the hinge resides in the resistance of the pin I 5 to the shearing force of the under side of the third fiat portion I5. y

However, the leaves of the hinge as well as the shelf and table top may be of different thicknesses Without departing from the scope of this invention, since these diiferences in thicknesses may be compensated for by the length of the inclines i and offset I4.

While'there is described above the principles of this invention in connection with specific apparatus, it is to be clearly understood that lthis description is made only by way of example and not as a limitation to the scope of this invention.

What is claimed and it is desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A detachable hinge comprising two leaves, one leaf comprising: a lirsll fiat portion, two spaced inclines extending outwardly from along one edge of said rst portion and terminating in axially aligned cylindrical pin retaining eyes, and a pin fastened Yin said eyes and bridging the space between said eyes; andthe other leaf comprising: second and third parallel fiat portions joined by an offsetting portion, said third flat portion terminating in an open reversely bent hook remote from said offsetting portion, said third iiat portion and said hook being of a width sufficient to pass between said eyes and to hook onto said pin.

2. A hinge according to claim 1 wherein each leaf is made of a single piece of sheet material.

3. A detachable hinge comprising two leaves, one leaf comprising: a first flat portion, two spaced inclines extending outwardly from along one edge of said first portion and terminating in axiallyaligned cylindrical pin retaining eyes, and a pin fastened in said eyes and bridging the space between said eyes; and the other leaf comprising: second and third parallel flat portions joined by an offsetting portion, said third flat portion terminating Vin an open reversely bent hook, said third flat portion and said hook being of a width sufficient to pass between said eyes and to hook onto said pin, and lug and port means vbetween adjacent surfaces of said first and third portions to prevent said surfaces from sliding relatively to each other when said lug is in said port. I.

4. A detachable hinge comprising two leaves, one leaf comprising: a rst flat portion, two spaced inclines extending outwardly from along one edge of said first portion forming a notch between said inclines, said inclines terminating in axially aligned cylindrical pin retaining eyes, and a pin fastened in said eyes and bridging said notch between said eyes; and the other leaf comprising: second and third parallel flat portions joined by an offsetting portion, said second and third portions being oiiset with respect to each other Vdistance corresponding to the thickness of said first fiat portion, said third fiat portion terminating in an open reversely bent hook remote from said offsetting portion projecting in the same direction as said offset from said second iiat portion, said third fiat portion and said hook being of a width suicient to pass between said eyes and to hook onto said pin, and lug and port means between adjacent faces of said first and third portions to prevent said surfaces from sliding relatively to each other when said lug is in said port, said inclines offsetting the axis of said eyes away from said first portion a distance equal to the distance the axis of said hook is offset from said second portion, so that when said leaves are connected and said lug is in said port, said Iirst and second portions are in the same plane, and said lug and port means prevent them from being pulled apart.

RALPH E. MCCLELLAN.

References cited' in the sie of this patent UNITED sTATEs PATENTS Number Name Date 125,657 Brinser Apr. 16, 1872 130,472 Brinser Aug. 13, 1372 142,077 Brinser Aug. 26, 1873 2,223,284 Handley et al Nov. 25, 1940 

